Welcome to Oxford Academic Health Partners website

Oxford Academic Health Partners is designated as an NIHR Academic Health Science Centre 

It is very important to all our partners and collaborators that the work we support and promote can benefit and impact on the greatest possible number of patients in the population and have the maximum impact and benefit for the country as a whole.  It is also the intention that investment can result from the activities and that again these benefits can spread far and wide.  The collaborations within and across the Partners will support this as will the increasing number of collaborations and partnership across all sectors.

We highlight the work of Partners through this site and also encourage and develop collaborations between and within Partners – recent examples include the Brain Health Centre, the development of Brainomix AI system throughout the Oxford AHSN, the development and roll out of Sleepio – work done by Oxford Health, the University of Oxford and the Oxford AHSN.  OxINMAHR based at Oxford Brookes University is a further example of close collaboration between Partners under the auspices of the OAHP.  The Board also links closely with the whole NIHR infrastructure to great advantage for all.

Do let us know of all and any examples so that we can showcase them.  Contact megan.turmezei@ouh.nhs.uk

The following are the Partners making up OAHP

• Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust;
• Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust;
• Oxford Brookes University;
• the University of Oxford; and
• Oxford Academic Health Science Network

We are now entering our second year and it has been an extraordinary year – one during which all five partners made a significant difference in all aspects of their work covering patient care, clinical research, innovations and their impact.  Clinical and support staff from both the Oxford University Hospitals NHS FT and from Oxford Health NHS FT, providing both mental health and community services, have all made a huge contribution to the Pandemic and contributed new and innovative ways of working in response.  Research and academic staff have also made enormous contributions and innovations.  These innovations will be carried forward to ensure efficiencies and service effectiveness can continue.  The vaccine developments in the UK and across the world have enabled and supported widespread vaccination – for example all OUH staff have been offered the vaccine.

A few examples of the outstanding work relating particularly to the COVID-19 pandemic are given below as so many individuals within the partners have made great and in many cases world-leading contribution to COVID-19 including Professor Dame Sarah Gilbert and Professor Sir Andy Pollard in the development of the Astra Zeneca Oxford University Vaccine; More information on the vaccine can be found here .  Andy Pollard also chairs the Government’s Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation.

Professor Sir John Bell, who chairs our Board, remains actively involved in the Government’s response to the pandemic and the development of the Industrial Life Sciences Strategy.  The UK Life Sciences Vision has just been published and is available life-sciences-vision July 2021.

Professor Sir Martin Landry and Professor Sir Peter Horby  lead the really important RECOVERY trial, the world leading pivotal clinical trial, which provided so many crucial elements for the management and treatment of COVID. This national clinical trial aims to identify treatments that may be beneficial for people hospitalised with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 including dexamethazone, tocilizumab and, most recently, the  investigational antibody combination developed by Regeneron.  The Trial has involved 40763 Participants at 184 Active sites – more information on the trial can be found here.

The Department of Primary Care Health Sciences has been leading the PRINCIPLE trial which is a nationwide clinical study from the University of Oxford to find COVID-19 treatments for recovery at home.  The Trial looking for medicines that can help people with COVID-19 symptoms get better quickly and stop them needing to go to hospital. PRINCIPLE is recruiting participants through this website and also through GP practices across the UK.  Professor Richard Hobbs, Head of this Department is an OAHP Board member.

Important research on COVID and its impact continues to be done by both our NIHR Biomedical Research Centres – at the OUH and OH – details can be found here for OUH and here for OH.

The OAHP is a true partnership covering Oxford and Oxfordshire but also reaching far beyond reflecting the excellence, strength and expertise of the Partners across the UK and the world.  We aim to work together across a wide range of activities – research, education, healthcare and innovation with the overriding aim of improving the care of patients.   A particular focus for 2021/2022 is to support the renewal applications from both BRCs ensuring that the best possible outcome can be delivered for Oxford and the wider Region is support of patient care and clinical and translational research.  The Director of the OAHP, Professor Keith Channon, is working closely with both Professor Helen McShane, Director of the Oxford BRC and Professor John Geddes, Director of the Oxford Health BRC on the process.  The first elements – PQQs – were submitted at the end of May 2021.

In addition, a key task for the Partnership is to take forward improvements in data management, data sharing and agreements across the Partners to ensure maximum benefit for patients and research.  OAHP will be establishing an oversight group for the development of, for example, bi-lateral and other agreements across all and working closely with the OUH/Oxford University group.

The Oxford Academic Health Science Network is a key partner, ensuring that OAHP’s work can be disseminated across the wider Region and working with the AHSN Network and other AHSCs, spreading across England and beyond. Professor Gary Ford, CEO of the AHSN has taken up the role as Chair of the AHSN Network with effect from 1 April 2021.

More detailed information on the Board and Governance arrangements can be found here.

In addition, the Partners have established a Registered Charity, the Oxford Academic Health Partners, to support the community in the achievement of its aims and objectives.  In particular, staff working within the OAHP will have an opportunity to apply for travel/study grants in support of their own learning objectives and in support of the goals of the OAHP.  The Award scheme was launched on 1 June 2021 – for details see here.

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